Culture & Art - Museum
We cordially thank Jean Lassale for agreeing to make us share his passion of Tibet through its collection of document and objets d'art relative to various aspects of the culture Tibetan.
The exposed parts are not to sell. Often single, they have been the fruit of research and personal contacts with specialists in the whole world for more than 40 years.
We had to select certain parts compared to the preliminary draft. The majority of the photographs are of high definition thus greedy in memory. To preserve the quality of the images and to better do you to divide them, we chose a regular exposure by topic: independent Tibet, Taskalis, reliquaries, wood engraved, chromos, Drukdos...
You can contact us to make us share of your remarks and comments.
And now, we wish you an excellent visit...
Independent Tibet: Banknotes
The first banknotes Tibetans were issued in 1912, but circulated certainly only in 1913.
Only, 10 facial values transfer the day between 1912 and 1959, but of many varieties exist, colours, seals and errors...
| Banknote | Year | Color |
|---|---|---|
| 5 TAM | 1912 | blue, green or yellow |
| 10 TAM | 1913 | red |
| 15 TAM | purple | |
| 25 TAM | yellow or maroon one clearly | |
| 50 TAM | 1926 to 1941 | blue or purple for the 1st emission, then multicoloured for the following ones |
| 5 SRANG | 1942 to 1945 | de petit format rose, jaune et bleu |
| 10 SRANG | 1941 to 1948 | only to have a dating of colours blue and pink |
| 25 SRANG | 1950 to 1955 | orange yellow and green |
| 100 TAM SRANG | 1937 to 1938 | yellow orange and green and blue with the back, with red octagonal seal |
| 100 TAM | 1939 to 1959 | yellow orange and green and blue with the back |
The tickets presented are among rarest, or present varieties :
To the 5 TAM 1912, it misses the black seal on the right.
The 15 purple TAM the 50 multicoloured TAM with red additional seal 50 purple and blue TAM, among the rarest tickets Tibetans.
| Click on the banknote to zoom | |
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5 TAM 1912 : 1st emission of a Tibetan banknote |
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15 Purple TAM |
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50 Multicoloured TAM |
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50 Blue TAM |
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50 Purple TAM |
The "Tsaklis" or "Tsakalis"
Drawings painted on paperboard or fabric, on which appear of the incensed or peaceful divinities and/or the symbols, are used at the time of certain ritual or as supports of meditation or at the time of initiations and transmission of lesson.
Sometimes, in complete whole of 3, 6, 9 or more, these charts can represent "basic" series such will mantra it "Om Mani Padme Hum", or the traditional auspicious symbols, but many are those which are reserved for initiations or high level lesson. In this case, they are more difficult to interpret.
Presented under various dimensions, sometimes like a card deck, it can also be bent on a fabric tape and be fixed on a wall of temple or a particular place of retreat. It is the case for the series of 5 tantric deities, the guards of the 10 directions "Krodhas" in a form incensed in position of Yab-Yung, union with their parèdre and holding in their hands of the ritual weapons.
Nine antique paintings of "Mkha groma" also known as "cloud fairies".They are feminine divinities normally shown either calm or fierce, frequently with animal heads or as beautiful young girls, and are generally depicted standing on a lotus blossom. They are aids to man between the earthly and higher levels. In their fierce attitude, they are directed against spiritual and physical obstacles which confront man in his attempt to gain higher planes.In their "usual" form are: Buddha-Dakini, Karma-Dakini, Padma-Dakini, Ratna-Dakini, Vajra-Dakini and Vishva-Dakini. In their "special" forms are: Sarvabuddha-dakini, Simhavakira, Makaravaktra and Vajravahari. Other dakinis are: The Goddesses of the Four Seasons, The five long-Life Sisters, The Twelve Jewel Goddesses and The Eight Mothers.
Dakini - Sanskrit. Chinese, K'ung-hsing fo-mu.Tibetan. Mkha'-'gro-ma. They are from the 19thc, & measure 4 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches. Nicely hand painted on canvas, measures 18" x 16.
